


Better With Two

by kaynibbler16



Series: Doctor Who Ficlets and Prompts [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-25
Updated: 2014-02-25
Packaged: 2018-01-13 19:24:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1238110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaynibbler16/pseuds/kaynibbler16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt fic: Rose helps the Doctor deal with the aftermath of the Time War. Set after Dalek.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better With Two

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of its characters.

When she first stepped into the room, Rose couldn’t tell if she was even on the TARDIS any longer. The grass under her bare feet was a fiery red that stretched on for what appeared to be miles until it disappeared over the horizon. Trees in various shades of silver gleamed all around her, light sparkling off their leaves from the twin suns in the sky.

Never before had she seen something so majestic, so _magnificent_.

And yet, a feeling of sadness filled her as she took in her surroundings. It was as though a deep sorrow was imbedded in the very ground of this strange world within a ship.

Something as painful as it was beautiful.

Rose’s eyes misted as emotions she could not even begin to explain almost overwhelmed her. What could be the cause of such distress in a world so beautiful?

It hadn’t been more than a few hours since they left Henry van Statten’s underground bunker. Rose had shown Adam to his room and left him to sort things out on his own. After that, she returned to her own room for a shower and to ready herself for bed. It wasn’t until after she was settled under her duvet for a few minutes that Rose realized that the Doctor probably wasn’t going to say goodnight like he usually did.

Something was very off when she left the console room, but with Adam nattering on about his personal achievements and the sheer impossibility of the Doctor’s ship, Rose never got a chance to ask how the Doctor was doing. Making up her mind, she climbed out of bed, grabbed her dressing gown, and headed back to the console room in search of the Doctor.

He wasn’t in the console room, or the galley, or even the extra storage room which he was usually banging around in searching for something. It was disconcerting that Rose could not seem to find him, but not at all that surprising. After the Dalek…

Rose sighed heavily. The thought of the Doctor having to remember those terrible things that happened to him during the Time War all alone was more than enough reason for Rose to keep searching. Even if he wouldn’t admit it, he needed someone there with him.

Someone to hold his hand so he’d know he wasn’t alone anymore.

By the time she reached a red door with golden circular writing, Rose was about ready to call it a night. It must have been well over an hour she’d been searching for him and by that point he may have already dealt with it all by himself.

The door in front of her appeared normal enough and didn’t seem all that out of place in the hallway, but something about it pulled her in. It was like she was led to it.

Carefully, and with a bit more caution than she normally used, Rose opened the door and found herself on another world.

It was truly breathtaking. Taking a few minutes to soak it in, Rose made her way down the small hill she was on, hoping to find the Doctor somewhere nearby.

There was a small stream meandering down the hillside, slowly trekking its way between the silver trees. It amazed her how much of a variety there was between the trees. Some were small, barely a foot tall. Others were gargantuan and could have easily towered over a multi-storied building.

The very trees themselves seemed to hum with energy, pulsing in time to a steady beat as though every root was connected to a heart. Rose followed the stream to a small pool filled with every color rock imaginable. There were very few plants in the water, but of those were some bearing a striking resemblance to Earth lily pads.

And it was just as she reached the pond’s edge that Rose heard it.

Someone was crying.

It was so soft, as though all their energy had been drained away and only the last vestiges of their emotions were left. It was the sound of someone who had nothing more to give, nothing left to lose. The sound of the defeated and the lost.

_Oh, Doctor_.

Rose was already walking towards the sound before she realized it, her heart dropping into her stomach as she caught sight of the Doctor.

He wasn’t wearing his leather jacket. Clad only in his dark trousers, a green jumper, and his boots, the Doctor had his head buried in the crook of his elbow as he leaned heavily against one of the larger trees by the pond. As she got close enough to pick out the smaller details, Rose noticed that both his hands were bloody and raw, silver splinters glinting off his knuckles and she gasped in horror at the sight.

Her sharp intake of breath caught his attention as his head snapped up and he stared right at her, his expression of alarm mirroring her own. “Rose,” he gasped out roughly. “What are you doing here? How did you even get in here?”

She couldn’t say anything, her eyes still glued to the ruined skin on his hands.

He turned away from her and wiped his face with his sleeve. “You should be sleeping.”

“I couldn’t,” Rose finally said, her heart pounding furiously as tears stung her eyes. Why hadn’t she come to find him sooner? Why had she waited? “You didn’t say goodnight.”

A ragged laugh made her jump as the Doctor turned to face her, almost all traces of his earlier activities gone besides his injuries. “I think you’re old enough not to need someone to wish you goodnight.”

“I am, but after today…I don’t want you to be alone,” Rose finished softly.

He stared at her, mouth hanging open just a hair. “You don’t want me to be alone?” he asked slowly, as though he hadn’t heard her correctly the first time.

Rose hesitated. “Today was bad, Doctor. Really bad. That Dalek—”

The Doctor visibly flinched, his eyes already hardening at the mere mention of his enemy. “Rose, I really don’t want to discuss this right now.”

“Then don’t. You don’t have to say anything; just…just don’t do this.”

“Don’t do what?”

Rose almost growled at him. “Don’t close yourself off and bury the pain inside you. I can’t just stand by and let this tear you apart. Let you tear _yourself_ apart. Please, just don’t do this.” By that point, tears were making their way down Rose’s cheeks. “Please, Doctor.”

Taking a few hesitant steps closer to him, Rose slowly pulled the Doctor’s arms around her waist and burrowed into his chest. She laid her head between his twin hearts and ran her hands soothingly up and down his back.

For a few long moments the Doctor did nothing, but then, ever so slowly, he tightened his arms around Rose’s waist. He held her as if he was terrified she might break, his hands almost trembling in their weak grip.

Rose spoke very softly, but still loud enough for him to hear. “I cannot begin to imagine how much pain you are in and I won’t pretend to, but please understand that I won’t run from you. I won’t walk away. I know you’ve done things that will forever haunt your conscience. I understand that, but you’re my best friend and I can’t watch you suffer alone any longer.”

“Rose…”

“Even if I’m only human and even if my life is short compared to yours, I can be here for you, even for only a little while. Please don’t shut me out.” Lifting her face to look at him, Rose could see the emotions burning in his eyes as he stared down at her. She only had the briefest warning before the Doctor crushed her to his chest and buried his face in the side of her neck.

Deep shuddering sobs wracked his body as he collapsed to the ground, Rose still tight in his arms. She managed to settle herself into his lap as he continued to weep. Her hands moved to the Doctor’s shoulders and one held the back of his head as the other gripped the opposite shoulder.

Neither could speak, but words weren’t needed.

They stayed there for undetermined amount of time, each lost in the other’s arms, completely oblivious to their surroundings. Tomorrow they would pretend this never happened. Pretend those moments never were and continue on as though everything were just as it had always been.

But not that night.

No, that night after witnessing van Statten’s greatest find destroy so many lives, they both needed comfort and found solace in one another’s arms.

Tomorrow they would deal with the arrogant pretty boy, but tonight it was only them.

The Doctor and Rose, just as it should be.


End file.
